Return of the Slave
by ImagingThings
Summary: A missing scene telling about the return of Onesimus mentioned in the Epistle to Philemon.


**_Disclaimer: _**I don't own the Bible.

Maybe running away hadn't been a good idea. Philemon wasn't even a cruel master; many of the other slaves Onesimus knew were treated far worse than he was. After all, their masters weren't Christians and therefore still saw the slaves as lesser beings.

Unlike other slaves who'd run away and, afterwards had been sent back to their masters' household, he wasn't really afraid of returning. Most other slaves wouldn't return freely either, and it would have been easy to just tell Paul that he would return to Philemon and then don't do it, but the missionary had trusted him and Onesimus wasn't about to fail the person who had treated him like a dear son.

So he continued on his track towards the household of his master and fellow Christian, Philemon, when it became too dark for him to continue he simply lay down on the ground.

"Christ." He whispered to the stars. "Keep your hand over me tonight and protect me against the dangers of the night." With those words he closed his eyes and fell asleep.

The next morning he continued his long walk, the hunger was gnawing in his belly but he knew that he would be recognized as what he was, a runaway slave, and risking punishment if he entered one of the villages. The only way he could still his hunger was by eating the wild fruit, but it wasn't much considering that he hadn't eaten since he left Paul early the previous morning.

At last, when the sun was slowly descending in west, he came to the gate of Philemon's house. He knocked on the gate and the sound of eager running children feet came closer, moments after the gate was yanked open. Inside stood little Leah, the six-year-old daughter of Philemon.

"Dad." She called back into the house. "It's Onesimus. He looks like he hasn't eaten for days!"

If she only knew. Well, when he thought about it he wouldn't be too surprised if she _did_, the little girl had a way of seeing what was wrong with people, and make them feel better. Not only humans; once she'd found a fox pup with a broken leg, she'd nursed the animal back to health and, when the time came, with many tears released it back into the wilderness.

"Well Leah." Came Philemon's amused voice from the main room. "Don't let him wait. Send him in here. And if you say he hasn't eaten for days you better go to the kitchen and ask them to prepare a healthy dinner."

Mumbling the girl repeated her father's request before she speeded off towards the kitchen.

Even though Philemon wasn't a cruel master Onesimus was still nervous as he walked towards the main room, what would his master do to him? Surely not even Philemon would let his running away go unpunished. In the end he'd worried without a cause:

As he entered the room Philemon rose from he chair and went over and embraced him; not like a runaway slave but as a dearly missed son.

"My dear boy." He said, holding Onesimus at arm's length. "Thank God you're unharmed. Looks like Leah was right when she said you haven't been eating for days. And look at you…"

Quickly Philemon called for one of the other slaves and asked her, that was one of the main things setting him aside from other people; he never _ordered _his slaves to do anything, he _asked_ them, to prepare a bath and put out clean clothing for Onesimus. As he was about to leave the room Onesimus suddenly remembered the letter Paul had tasked him with to bring to Philemon.

"Here." He said, placing the letter on the table. "I bring a letter from Paul."

"Thank you, my boy. Now, go and have a well deserved bath and when you're done I'm sure dinner will be ready."

When Onesimus returned from his bath, dressed in a simple tunica, the table had been set with a hearty dinner of bread and fish, combined with wine and a bowl of grapes.

"Eat, my boy." Philemon said, motioning for Onesimus to sit down at the table. Doing so Onesimus started to eat; even though he was starving he was careful not to gobble the food down.

"What is Paul writing?" he asked curious. Even though he'd been carrying the letter for two whole days he hadn't read it. First of all he couldn't even read, not that well. Second of all it wasn't right to read other people's letters.

"Paul is asking me to receive you as a brother in the faith."

"You did. Even without having read the letter. But surely Paul wouldn't write a letter just for that."

"No. He writes he'll come and visit soon."

When Onesimus had finished his dinner and a slave had removed the dishes the entire household came into the room. Together they sang and praised the Lord to well into the night.


End file.
